“Education is of great importance if you want to make a difference in the world”, Mr Michele Orzan claimed in his welcome word at the World Sustainable Energy Forum in Vienna on 3 June 2013. As an organizational partner of the WSEF, EuCham showed its commitment to solving the problems caused by the drastic climate change.
Professionals from both the private and public sector discussed sustainable energy solutions, after a keynote speech by Senator Marc R. Pacheco, Massachusetts. As a Climate Messenger of Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, he stressed the importance of investing in environmental sustainability and with that leaving behind a more sustainable Earth for the next generation
The speech of the Senator commenced with a video of the Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project and was followed by two panel discussions, one focusing on sustainable cities and how to structure them, and a second one concentrated on the future of sustainable energy from different perspectives. Both panels were moderated by Ms Andrea Fenz, Managing Director of Skills International.
According to Prof. Hermann Knoflacher of the Vienna University of Technology, there currently is a wrong understanding of mobility and sustainability. To create an increase of understanding and to change the behavior of everybody, it is important to change structures and provide everything needed for people who want to be green. Ms Veronika Haunold, consultant at Wien Holding, added that to ensure that the general behavior will change, it is necessary to involve people and make the person the center of the project. According to Prof. Melanie Sully of Government, continuous dialogue is needed to create at least a sustainable basis for the dialogue between governments and people.
The World Sustainable Energy Forum focused on competence in sustainable energy solutions, issues and problem solving concepts. In 2014, the full session will take place in Istanbul, Turkey, and an autumn session will take place in Vienna, Austria in November 2014.
